Only Human
by catharticone
Summary: Esme and Carlisle ask to see Bella shortly after her return from Italy. Have they have changed their minds about welcoming her into their family?
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer:__ Twilight_ is entirely the property of Stephenie Meyer. I'm just borrowing…

_Author's Note:_ When I finished _New Moon_, I felt there needed to be some follow-up. Would Bella really come through that experience completely unscathed? This is my little attempt to address that.

* * *

Charlie's anger had gone from seething to simmering in the thirty-six hours since I'd returned from Italy. I knew he was relieved that I was home and safe, but he was finding it difficult to forgive me for subjecting him to such horrendous worry. I couldn't blame him, really. He'd just lost a dear friend, and then I'd gone off and vanished for three days. So I expected lingering ire.

Unfortunately, it seemed easier for him to direct his indignation toward Edward than to aim it full-force at me. I had assumed this net of resentment would encompass the entire Cullen family, so I was more than a little surprised with the bit of news he gave me when he came up to my room after dinner on my second full day home.

At his insistence, I'd returned to school that morning. I had no objections, really, since it meant I got to spend a great deal of time with Edward. However, by my afternoon classes, I was dragging. I was still tired from the long, wrenching trip. It was the sort of lingering exhaustion that leaves you vaguely achy and a little fuzzy-headed. Now I understood what jet lag really meant. It wasn't much fun, but I'd gladly endure it a thousand more times if it meant that Edward was safe and we were together.

Our reunion ended promptly at five when Charlie returned home from work. He was early—obviously checking to be sure Edward and I were complying with my new curfew. While my vampire boyfriend remained unfailingly polite, my human father was overtly rude and bordered on antagonistic. Edward departed amiably, and I retreated to my room to study. I had a lot of catching up to do.

I heard the phone ring after dinner and waited for a few moments to see if it was for me. However, when Charlie didn't call for me, I assumed he was talking to Billy or Sue or someone from work. After about five minutes, I his heavy footfalls clomped up the stairs, then he tapped at my door.

"Bells," he said rather gruffly.

"Come in, Dad."

He stepped inside. "Alice is coming over to pick you up in about half an hour."

I gaped at him. "Alice?" I repeated, temporarily dumbfounded. He should be thoroughly vexed with her…

He nodded curtly. "That was Mrs. Cullen—er, Esme—on the phone. She asked if you could come over for a little while."

"And you said yes?" I asked incredulously. Quickly I amended, "I mean, that's fine, of course, if it's okay with you?"

His expression shifted, and for a second he looked anxious, but then he rearranged his features into the stern mask he'd worn since the moment I returned. "She knows you need to be home by 9:00. And this isn't so you can see Edward. He isn't even there tonight. Esme and Carlisle want to see you. That's the only reason I'm letting you go."

"Oh…" They probably wanted to speak with me further about my change. There was still a lot to discuss, I was sure. I hoped they hadn't reconsidered their decision. "Um, that's good, because I didn't really get a chance to apologize to them."

"You should do that. They're nice people—really, fine folks, both of 'em, Alice, too."

I refrained from adding Edward's name to the list. No point in riling Charlie any further. I simply nodded and pushed myself to my feet. I gave him a quick but heart-felt hug. At first he was stiff, but after a moment his arms came up to wrap around me.

"God, Bells, you really scared me," he said softly. "I need you to be okay."

"I'm sorry, Dad. Really, I am."

His arms tightened, then he released me. "Getting caught up on your work?"

"Yes."

"Good." He shut the door and trudged down the hallway.

I tried to return my focus to calculus, but after about ten minutes my eyelids felt leaden. My limbs were heavy, too. I rubbed my hands over my eyes then got up to splash some water on my cheeks and run a brush through my hair. I barely glanced at my reflection in the mirror—a habit I'd developed during the past several months. I hadn't wanted to see the wan, despondent girl looking back at me.

I returned to my calculus book and attempted to work a problem before Alice arrived.

* * *

I heard Alice's delighted squeal when Charlie admitted her to the house. His voice sounded friendlier than it had in the past two days. She always had that effect on him. Smiling, I made my way down the stairs.

Alice's beaming grin faded for a moment when she saw me, but then she flitted over and gave me a warm hug. "Ready?" she asked, her tone a bit less ebullient.

"Yep. Let me just get my coat." As soon as I'd pulled on my jacket, Alice had my hand in hers.

"I'll have her home before nine," she promised Charlie.

"You do that," he replied, but his voice wasn't even close to gruff.

Alice hustled me outside and into the Mercedes. I was a little surprised that she hadn't brought Edward's car, but that might have aroused Charlie's suspicions.

"Where's Edward waiting?" I asked, expecting him to slip into the back seat at any moment.

"He's hunting with Jasper and Emmett." Her expression became quite serious. "Carlisle insisted that he go. He hadn't fed in weeks, and he refused to go the last two nights. He had a hard time in school today."

"I'm glad he went," I replied, recalling the deep purple smudges beneath his eyes. "He really needed to."

She nodded as she pulled out onto the street then accelerated away from the house.

"So this really is about Esme and Carlisle wanting to see me?" I clarified. I'd hoped my devious little best friend had arranged some extra time with Edward for me.

"Yes." She sounded serious again.

"Alice." I reached out to grip her arm. "Have they changed their minds? Have you?" My heart sped up, knocking against my ribs.

"No, Bella, not at all." She turned her head to smile at me, but it seemed a little forced.

"Then what's going on? Is something wrong?"

For an instant her gaze focused on some unseen point in the future, then she seemed to relax. "No, everything's going to be fine."

"Was something _going_ to be wrong?"

She shook her head. "Nothing to worry about, Bella, except maybe that jacket you're wearing. I know we didn't spend much time in Italy, but I was hoping at least a little of the overall fashion sense might have rubbed off on you…"

I sighed. It was going to be that kind of night. And I really wasn't in the mood to play dress-up. I was still tired and sluggish, and the thought of trying on endless outfits left me genuinely exhausted. I rested my aching head against the cool glass as Alice prattled on.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	2. Chapter 2

The house was bright and warm when we arrived. Alice led me through the garage and into the kitchen, where Esme was pouring steaming water into a teapot.

"Bella, dear, good evening!" she greeted me. "I'm just preparing some tea for you. It's a bit chilly tonight, isn't it?"

She sounded quite cheerful, but when she came over to embrace me, I caught a tiny pucker in her perfect brow.

"Thank you for inviting me," I said, feeling slightly awkward.

"Everything was so rushed the last two times we saw you," she replied softly. "We didn't have a chance to speak with you… to tell you how grateful we are."

"Oh, you don't need to," I began.

Alice darted to the door with a quick wave. "See you at 8:45," she chirped then vanished.

"Where's she going?" I asked, perplexed. Wasn't she planning to torture me at least a little?

"She and Rosalie are going on a short hunt," Esme replied pleasantly. With a glance at the china teapot, she added, "There's a lovely fire in the study. I'll bring your tea up when it's ready."

She led me up the stairs to the second floor. The large door was open, revealing Carlisle sitting in one of the richly upholstered armchairs before the hearth. He stood immediately and strode toward me.

"Bella," he said, placing his hands lightly upon my shoulders. He smiled, but his gaze was deep as he seemed to study my face for a moment. "Come and sit down."

I settled on the leather sofa beside Esme. Carlisle perched before us on a low, wooden table. His hands rested upon his knees.

"I believe," he began, "that Esme started to speak with you, but I wanted to be sure you knew that this comes from the entire family. Thank you, Bella. There are no words to express our gratitude to you. You saved Edward. You brought our son back to us."

I felt my cheeks flush and stammered, "You're welcome." It wasn't eloquent, and it wasn't at all what I wanted to say, but their expressions were so earnest, so full of heart-felt appreciation, that other words failed me.

Esme clasped my hand softly. "We love you, honey."

My throat was tight, and my eyes began to prickle. I squeezed her hand and replied, "I love you, too."

We sat without speaking for several long moments, then Esme glanced at Carlisle. I saw him give a slight nod, and she rose.

"I think the tea is ready now," she said. "I have some of those ginger cream cookies you like, too."

"Thanks," I said, but she was already gone. I began to get up. "I'll help her—"

"No, dear," Carlisle said softly, motioning for me to remain seated. "She'll be back soon."

I sank down again. I felt there was something he wanted to say to me.

He offered me a smile, but it seemed wooden, forced somehow. "Bella," he began, shifting a bit, "in addition to offering our deepest thanks, there's another topic I need to discuss with you. I've been thinking about it since you returned... "

Maybe he really had changed his mind. Maybe he was hoping to try to talk me out of the plan. They didn't want me to join their family. I wasn't sure I could bear to hear such a heart-breaking truth.

My chest felt heavy as I waited for him to continue, steeling myself for the inevitable.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	3. Chapter 3

Breathing had become somewhat difficult; my chest was heavy and tight.

Carlisle leaned forward a little and asked, "Are you all right?"

I took a slow, steadying breath and tried to smile. "Uh huh."

His hands cupped mine lightly. "In addition to conveying our deepest thanks to you tonight, I wanted to see you how you're doing."

Was that all? I searched his face, finding nothing but gentle curiosity and concern in his golden eyes.

Considerably relieved, I replied, "Charlie's still pretty steamed at me, and I don't know if he'll ever be civil to Edward again."

Carlisle nodded. "I regret that. I'm so sorry this has affected your relationship with your father. However, I know how much he loves you, and I'm sure he'll come around soon."

"He will," I agreed.

Carlisle's thumb moved softly over my wrist. "Bella," he began quietly and earnestly, his tone indicating that he was switching to another topic. "I know you witnessed some terrible things in Volterra. I cannot imagine how you must have felt—your initial fears for Edward's safety, combined with your interactions with the Volturi and their treatment of Edward, and then the knowledge that they'd taken a group of humans…"

Emotion seemed to stifle him, or perhaps he was simply trying to shield me from further, inconceivable truths. He took a breath and continued.

"Well, it must have been a great deal to withstand and process. I want you to know that I'm here if you wish to speak with me about it. Any time, Bella, you may come to me and I will always listen. I'll do anything I can to help you."

"Thank you," I said, my voice sounding small.

"To that end," he continued gently, "would you tell me how you're feeling?"

Hadn't we just covered this? Perhaps I appeared slightly confused.

"You look pale," he added in clarification.

Oh. He was probably right. "I think I have a little bit of jet lag."

"Yes, I understand that international travel is rather rough. I don't imagine that staying up for three days straight and eating next to nothing during that time helped, either." He offered me a mirthless smile.

"Probably not," I conceded.

"You've been eating regularly since you returned?"

I nodded but perhaps not very enthusiastically. Edward had made certain I ate lunch at school today, but Charlie's crankiness had suppressed most of my appetite at dinner.

Carlisle was watching me closely. Was he trying to ascertain the truthfulness of my statement? He seemed to harbor some doubts. His fingers traced lightly over the bones in my hand.

"You've lost weight," he said, his tone full of kindness and concern.

"I didn't really think to eat while we were traveling," I hedged.

He looked up at me again, pulling his hands back into his lap. He sighed.

"Bella, I owe you an apology. We all do, but I feel that I'm most strongly to blame. When we left, I didn't handle it as well as I might have. I should have insisted on giving you closure, certainly with Alice and probably with the rest of the family, as well. We should have told you how much you mean to us, how sorry we were about the way things turned out. And we should have remained in contact with you to provide whatever support we could. I realize I can't change what happened, but I want you to know that I regret it deeply. I can see now that our actions hurt you—both emotionally and physically."

"I'm all right, Carlisle. Really," I said, my voice a bit raspy. I was touched by the sincerity of his words. "Everything's going to be fine now."

"Yes. But I'd like to help things along a bit, if I may?"

I gave a little shake of my head. "I'm not sure I understand…"

"Bella, dear, I'm concerned about your health. Esme is, too."

I really hadn't been expecting this. "Honestly, I'm okay," I said. It was almost a conditioned response. I'd been giving it in reply to Charlie's and Renee's incessant inquiries for the past six months.

Carlisle smiled sympathetically. "I know you're feeling much better emotionally, but you're still very tired, aren't you?"

"Jet lag," I reminded him.

"In part. But I'm fairly certain you're suffering the effects of sustained poor nutrition and stress, as well."

Charlie and Renee had both hinted at this more than once, but I'd brushed them off with my standard reply. However, Carlisle's expression was so sincere, so full of both caring and remorse, that it was impossible to dissemble with him.

"Maybe," I acknowledged, my voice barely above a whisper, "a little."

"I would consider it a favor it you would allow me to help you get better."

"I think I just need to start eating regularly and getting more sleep."

"That will help quite a bit. But there may be some other things we can do, too."

"I can take vitamins," I suggested.

He nodded. "Yes, a good multi-vitamin would be wise. I'd be glad to recommend one. I think you're going to need some iron supplements, as well."

I frowned a little. "Iron?"

"I'm fairly certain you're anemic."

This surprised me. I hadn't realized the effects of my meager diet over the past few months. I'd been tired—exhausted most of the time, really—but I'd assumed that was part of the despondency.

"I didn't know…" It was a poor excuse, but it was the truth.

He smiled reassuringly. "Well, it's a relatively simple thing to fix."

"Or we can just wait until I'm changed," I suggested. "I mean, that takes care of everything—illness, injuries, all of it—right?"

His brow tightened. "The transformation process is very difficult and painful, Bella. However, I suspect much of that may be due to the substantial healing that occurs. I've never seen anyone changed who wasn't terminally ill or gravely injured. I think—I hope—that by initiating the process when you're in good health we can avoid much of that discomfort. So ensuring that you're healthy is very important to me, on a number of counts."

Well shoot, I hadn't thought of things that way. He was trying to spare me pain, make the change as easy as possible. I nodded. "That never occurred to me. I'll be sure to take my vitamins and iron and eat a really nutritious diet. Is there anything else I should do?"

"Would you permit me to have a look at you?"

Somewhat hesitantly, I replied, "Um, yeah, sure."

I trusted Carlisle completely, as both a surrogate father and a doctor. However, I was not pleased with the prospect of going to the hospital. I'd spent entirely too much time in that sterile, alcohol-tinged environment. Now that Edward was back, I had no intention of doing anything reckless again… unless it involved bedroom-based activities. I think I might have blushed a little.

Carlisle's cool touch jerked me from my brief reverie. His palm rested over my forehead. He had moved closer to me, his expression shifting to a more professional one.

"Oh, you mean right now," I murmured, suddenly understanding his intention. Maybe a trip to the hospital wouldn't be required after all. That was a good thing. Still, my heart sped up a little as anxiety began bubbling through me.

"If that's all right," he said politely. "If you'd prefer, I could see you at the hospital tomorrow."

"You already got your old job back?"

He nodded and chuckled jovially. "It seems I'm somewhat irreplaceable."

I had to smile at that. "Yes, you are. You all are."

He gave my cheek an affectionate caress then gently inspected my eyes and eyelids. His hands moved down to explore the area beneath my jaws and at the base of my throat. Then he pulled a bright pen light from his pocket and examined my eyes further.

He tapped my chin lightly. "Open, please."

I complied, and he peered around in my mouth and down my throat. When he was finished, he took my hand in his and spent a few moments inspecting my nails and running his thumb over my skin.

Curious, I asked, "What are you looking for?"

"Brittle nails can be an indicator of several types of vitamin deficiency," he replied.

"Or maybe I just need one of Alice's manicures," I joked.

"I'm sure she'd love that," he said amiably. "In the meantime, though, a boost of vitamin B will restore some of your energy, as well as help with the iron deficiency." His thumb passed over my hand again, and his tone sobered. "You're dehydrated, too, Bella."

This truly came as news to me. "Really? How did that happen?"

"According to Alice, you had very little to eat or drink for three days, and the only liquids you consumed on the plane were Cokes, which contain caffeine, of course, and act as a diuretic—not a good source of hydration."

"Oh."

"You're not severely dehydrated, but enough to leave you a little uncomfortable. I imagine you have a headache?"

My head had been throbbing dully all day, but I'd ignored it. I was so used to feeling that wrenching pain in my chest that something minor like a headache barely registered anymore. Still, I nodded in acknowledgment.

Carlisle sat back, signaling that he'd finished his examination. I'd learned something during those weeks after I returned from Phoenix: One great thing about having a vampire doctor was his ability to use his enhanced senses for diagnostic purposes. I knew he didn't require a stethoscope to hear my heart and lungs clearly. There were undoubtedly quite a number of things he could check without the need for instruments or machines. This made his exams—at least when he could perform them away from curious human eyes—remarkably quick and relatively painless.

He offered me another of his wonderfully warm, reassuring smiles. "So, I'd like to get some fluids into you and give you a B-12 injection. I think you'll feel much better after that."

Fluids and injections meant needles. It was unlikely I'd feel anything but worse while he administered them… Still, I would never question his medical judgment. I sighed in acquiescence.

"I wasn't planning on a trip to the hospital tonight," I said. "I might miss Charlie's 9:00 curfew…"

He chuckled. "I'll be sure you're home before then."

Well, that was unlikely. Even with a Cullen driving, it would take almost half an hour to get to the hospital and back to Charlie's house, not to mention the time required for Carlisle to gather supplies and complete the treatments. Before I could question this, Esme appeared before me. She held Carlisle's black bag in her hand.

"How are you doing, sweetheart?" she asked me kindly. She passed the bag to her husband and ran her hand softly over my hair. "Are you terribly uncomfortable?" Her lovely brow was furrowed with worry. Of course she'd heard everything Carlisle had told me.

"No, I'm just a little tired and achy," I replied, hoping to assuage some of her anxiety. "I'm sure I'll feel better soon."

Carlisle had produced a bag of clear liquid and IV supplies from his bag. He set them on the table then searched for something else.

"You're doing this here?" I asked. This was unexpected. Or maybe it wasn't. Had Carlisle sent the others away in anticipation of this? There would be blood—not much, but enough for their super-sensitive noses to detect.

Carlisle nodded. "Unless you'd rather go to the hospital? I thought this would be faster and easier for you."

"No, that's… fine." I glanced at Esme, concerned about her reaction. A needle now lay on the table, too.

She smiled gently. "I'm going downstairs for a little while," she said, understanding my reservations. "When you're finished, perhaps you'd come down and join me for your tea and cookies."

I reached up to give her hand a fond squeeze. "Okay."

She kissed the top of my head then darted away. Carlisle was preparing a syringe. I managed not to cringe, but I couldn't stop my heart from thumping apprehensively.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	4. Chapter 4

Carlisle held an apologetic expression on his face. As soon as he began speaking, I understood why.

"Absorption is most effective if this is delivered into fatty tissue," he explained briefly, glancing at the syringe. "In some patients, the injection can be made in the arm or leg, but I'm afraid those areas won't work for you, Bella—they're too lean." His gaze flicked downward.

I swallowed, trying to maintain my composure. Carlisle was a doctor, and he'd treated me in Phoenix and after I'd returned to Forks. I had no reason to feel embarrassed… but I did anyway. With a sigh I began to stand.

He placed a hand on my arm to stop me. "Just turn around, dear."

I was happy to comply. It meant he wouldn't see the blush rapidly covering my cheeks. I twisted so that I faced the back of the couch then unfastened my jeans. They were loose—all of my pants were, actually—so it was easy to slide them down.

"That's fine," he said when I'd exposed about three inches of one of the only twin areas on my body containing any excess fat.

I felt the cold of the alcohol wipe followed by a very quick sting, and then it was over. I readjusted my clothing and my dignity then wriggled around to face him again. He gave me another smile tinged with sympathy.

"Doing all right?" he asked.

I nodded. I was actually feeling a bit chilled, yet a few beads of sweat were clinging to my forehead. I took a couple of slow breaths and tried not to look at the needle attached to the IV port glinting in the firelight. This was ridiculous. I'd been through much, much worse. But somehow my body seemed to have forgotten that, and it insisted on starting to shake a little. My skin was growing clammier by the second, too.

"Bella," Carlisle said softly, soothingly, "try to relax, sweetheart." He moved in front of me to block my view of the supplies he'd laid out. "Lean back and close your eyes for a minute."

"I'm sorry," I stammered. "I'm being ridiculous… I don't know why." Great. Now tears were welling in my stupid, traitorous eyes.

"You've been through a great deal, and you remained strong and courageous the entire time."

Gently he pressed me back so that my head rested against the soft cushion. A blanket appeared in his hand, seemingly out of thin air, and he spread it over me.

"Sometimes," he continued, his voice still very soft, "it all just catches up with us. Sometimes it's the smallest thing that brings out all of those emotions that we had to suppress during the crisis. And that's all right, Bella. You're safe here, and you're with people who love you. It's all right to let it out."

I had been focused on his face, on his beautiful golden eyes, while he spoke. But now I felt a light touch as cool fingers closed around my right hand. I glanced to the side to see Esme sitting next to me.

"Oh, Esme," I murmured, "you shouldn't be in here."

"Of course I should," she replied gently. "There's nowhere else I want to be."

"But—" My eyes tried to find the equipment on the table, but Carlisle still impeded my view.

"It's all right, darling. I'm perfectly fine." She tucked the blanket around me, resting her hand over mine again through the fabric. With her other hand, she brushed the hair away from my face and delicately, lovingly wiped the tears from my cheeks with a small silk handkerchief. She slid her arm around my shoulders, encouraging me to rest my head against her cashmere-clad chest. I didn't resist at all.

She began humming a familiar tune, but I couldn't quite place it. Her fingers moved over my hair, and soon I felt calmer. Oddly enough, I was warmer, too, despite the fact that I was in a vampire's embrace. After a few moments I closed my eyes.

I was vaguely aware of the cool touch on my left hand, but I was too comfortable to lift my head and look. I felt a tiny twinge of pain, but it faded as I focused on Esme's lovely humming instead.

I'm not sure how long we sat there. I think I might have dozed for a few minutes, but Esme's comforting tune never ceased. I was aware of the soft warmth of the cashmere beneath my cheek and her fingers tenderly stroking my hair. The fire crackled a bit, and once or twice there was a light, cool brush against the skin of my left wrist and a gentle pressure at my forearm. I thought I caught the whisper of voices, but it might have been the breeze in the trees outside.

"Bella." Esme's voice was a little louder now, just enough to encourage me to open my eyes and smile sleepily at her.

She squeezed my right hand lightly, and I realized that Carlisle was pressing a bandage over the back of my left hand.

"There we are," he said to me with a smile, "all finished. How are you feeling now?"

I sat up. My headache had disappeared, and while a little sleepiness still lingered, I didn't feel as sluggish and achy as I had earlier. "Better," I replied. "Thank you."

He patted my hand softly. There was still a trace of regret in his eyes, slightly shadowing his affable expression. "You're welcome."

"Do you feel like having that tea now?" Esme asked.

"I do," I replied. "And I'm hungry for a cookie—maybe even two."

"Wonderful!" she beamed.

She and I began to walk out of the room. I glanced back at Carlisle; he wasn't following us.

"I'll join you in a few minutes," he said. "I'm going to call in a prescription for an iron supplement for you. I'll have the pharmacist set aside an appropriate multi-vitamin, too."

I nodded. "Thanks."

Then Esme whisked me downstairs, where we sat before the fireplace in the living room. I drank my tea and ate several cookies as we chatted cordially. True to his word, Carlisle appeared about five minutes after we'd sat down.

When I heard the front door open a little while later, I expected Alice's trilling voice. I'd noticed the time: It was 8:35, according to the crystal clock on the mantle. At least I'd be home before Charlie's curfew.

"Bella?" Edward's velvet tones washed over me. I turned to see him hurrying toward me, an expression of concern etched into his features. His eyes moved from Esme to Carlisle. "An IV? Carlisle, what—"

A brief bit of silent communication passed between them, then Edward was kneeling before me, taking my hand to kiss the skin above the bandage.

"Bella, love," he said, his tone bereft, "why didn't you tell me how bad you were feeling? I knew you were tired, and I could see that you'd lost weight, but I didn't realize you were dehydrated and anemic. I should have. I should have seen the signs—"

I pressed my fingers over his gorgeous lips. "Sshh. I didn't even realize it. And I'm fine now. I feel much better."

Edward glanced at his father for confirmation then returned his gaze to me. "Even so, this is all my fault."

I shook my head. "I think we've all done enough blaming and apologizing for one night—probably for one lifetime, at least a human one. Let's just go forward now."

I could tell that he wanted to say something further, but he refrained. Instead he kissed my mouth very softly then enveloped me in his arms.

"I could stay like this all night," I murmured, then I sighed. "But if I'm not home by nine, Charlie'll have a fit or a heart attack or something. I don't want to put him through that."

"I'll drive you," he began, but his eyes flicked to Carlisle, and then he smiled.

"What?" I asked. I knew this family well enough to notice when they were up to something.

Carlisle had a small, slightly mischievous grin. Esme was apparently in on it, too. She reached for her husband's hand and they strolled from the room.

Edward chuckled. "It seems my very brilliant, very understanding father phoned your rather dense, highly unsympathetic father and explained that he was treating you for dehydration and that you'd need to remain here for another hour so that you could finish your IV."

I laughed. "I never thought I'd be glad to have had an IV, but I am now!"

"So," he said, "we have an extra hour together. What would you like to do?"

I pulled him toward me, and in an instant he had me in his lap. "This," I replied. "Just this."

He kissed me again. "That works for me."

* * *

_To be concluded in the epilogue..._


	5. Epilogue

Alice returned at 9:40, and I reluctantly left Edward's embrace. I knew I'd see him again in less than an hour, but I hated to be apart, even for a mere sixty minutes. Carlisle and Esme appeared just as we were walking to the door.

"You father's going to stop at the pharmacy early tomorrow to pick up your supplements," Carlisle said.

"Was he very angry?" I asked.

"Angry that you weren't well?" Carlisle frowned a little. "Of course not, Bella. He was worried at first then relieved when I told him it wasn't serious."

He hugged me, as did Esme. Alice waited outside for a few moments while Edward kissed me again. He walked me to the car and gave me one final kiss before we drove away.

"Are you really feeling better now?" Alice asked.

"Much."

"That's a relief! I was pretty worried at first…"

Suddenly I recalled her comments in the car on the drive over and the anxious expression I'd seen on Charlie's face when he came up to my room. Now it was all falling into place… sort of.

"Alice, what did you see?" I demanded.

She shrugged. "Which time? I see a lot of things."

"Alice Cullen! Tell me what happened tonight."

"Bella—"

"Look, everything's fine now. I just want to know what's going on. I don't like being kept out of the loop. It's not fair that I can't read minds or see the future!"

I think my frustration caused her to relent. She gave a nod of acquiescence.

"Earlier today I had a vision of you… getting light-headed at school tomorrow. Nothing really bad happened, but I got worried. I'd also heard Esme and Carlisle talking the night we got back and then again this morning. They were both concerned; they thought you looked unwell. When I told Carlisle what I'd seen, he wanted to be sure you were all right."

"Edward didn't know?"

"No. He's been spending so much time with you, and thinking about you during those rare moments when he's not with you, that he didn't pick up on my vision. He needed to hunt—he really, truly did—and that was good, actually, because if he'd been home when you came over and while you were having the IV, he'd have worried a hole in Esme's Persian carpet."

"So Esme called Charlie and asked me over because you all were worried about me?" I confirmed.

"Charlie was, too. He just hadn't said anything, hadn't really admitted it to himself. He'd been

too busy being furious with Edward and you."

"What exactly did Esme say to him? He seemed perfectly willing to let me come over…"

"She said she and Carlisle thought you looked pale and thin and wondered if you'd seen a doctor recently. Charlie said you'd refused to—"

I humphed.

"—so when Esme said she'd ask Carlisle to have a look at you, Charlie was all for that."

"So basically you were all plotting this," I confirmed, "behind my back!"

"Aw Bella, it's just because we love you."

"I know."

And it truly meant the world to me.


End file.
